Detection and use of printer configuration information

ABSTRACT

The hardware and software properties of a three-dimensional printer can be queried and applied to select suitable directly printable models for the printer, or to identify situations where a new machine-ready model must be generated. The properties may be any properties relevant to fabrication including, e.g., physical properties of the printer, printer firmware, user settings, hardware configurations, and so forth. A printer may respond to configuration queries with a dictionary of capabilities or properties, and this dictionary may be used to select suitable models, or determine when a new model must be created. Similarly, when a printable model is sent to the printer, metadata for the printable model may be compared to printer properties in the dictionary to ensure that the model can be fabricated by the printer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/576,044 filed on Sep. 19, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/587,548 filed on Dec. 31, 2014 (now U.S.Pat. No. 10,421,238), where the entire content of each of the foregoingis hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the use of configurationinformation for a three-dimensional printer to select suitablemachine-ready models.

BACKGROUND

Generally, three-dimensional printers execute machine-readyrepresentations of three-dimensional models for fabricating objects.These machine-ready models are typically dependent on the configurationor properties of the three-dimensional printers, e.g., the hardwareconfiguration, software configuration, user settings, firmwareversion(s) and so forth. While a three-dimensional printer may know itsown hardware and software configuration, a service providingmachine-ready models may not. There remains a need for providingmachine-ready models based on a three-dimensional printer'sconfiguration, and for improved matching of models to printers.

SUMMARY

The hardware and software properties of a three-dimensional printer canbe queried and applied to select suitable directly printable models forthe printer, or to identify situations where a new machine-ready modelmust be generated. The properties may be any properties relevant tofabrication including, e.g., physical properties of the printer, printerfirmware, user settings, hardware configurations, and so forth. Aprinter may respond to configuration queries with a dictionary ofcapabilities or properties, and this dictionary may be used to selectsuitable models, or determine when a new model must be created.Similarly, when a printable model is sent to the printer, metadata forthe printable model may be compared to printer properties in thedictionary to ensure that the model can be fabricated by the printer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the devices,systems, and methods described herein will be apparent from thefollowing description of particular embodiments thereof, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of thedevices, systems, and methods described herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer.

FIG. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment.

FIGS. 3A-3B show a flowchart of a method for providing machine-readymodels based on printer configuration.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a system for providing machine-readymodels based on printer configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system for providing dictionaries and machine-readymodels.

FIG. 6 illustrates a system for providing machine-ready models based onprinter configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying figures, in which preferred embodimentsare shown. The foregoing may, however, be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the illustratedembodiments set forth herein.

All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety. References to items in the singular should be understoodto include items in the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly statedotherwise or clear from the text. Grammatical conjunctions are intendedto express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations ofconjoined clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwisestated or clear from the context. Thus, the term “or” should generallybe understood to mean “and/or” and so forth.

Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting,referring instead individually to any and all values falling within therange, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value withinsuch a range is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. The words “about,” “approximately,” or thelike, when accompanying a numerical value, are to be construed asindicating a deviation as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skillin the art to operate satisfactorily for an intended purpose. Ranges ofvalues and/or numeric values are provided herein as examples only, anddo not constitute a limitation on the scope of the describedembodiments. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language(“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely tobetter illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on thescope of the embodiments. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to thepractice of the embodiments.

In the following description, it is understood that terms such as“first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” and the like, arewords of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for providingmachine-ready models based on a printer's configuration inthree-dimensional fabrication systems. It will be understood that whilethe exemplary embodiments below may emphasize three-dimensionalfabrication systems using extrusion, the principles of the invention maybe adapted to a wide variety of three-dimensional fabrication processesor other processes where instructions for physical steps are createdbased on assumptions about a machine that is being controlled. This mayinclude a variety of three-dimensional fabrication systems such asselective laser sintering systems, fused deposition modeling systems,stereolithography systems, and other three-dimensional printing systems,as well as automated fabrication lines, robotics systems, and so forth.Other systems that can be adapted for use with the techniques asdescribed herein are also intended to fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. It should also be understood that any reference herein to afabrication process such as printing or three-dimensional printing isintended to refer to any and all such additive fabrication processesunless a different meaning is explicitly stated or otherwise clear fromthe context. Thus, by way of example and not of limitation, athree-dimensional printer (or simply “printer”) that may be adapted foruse in a system providing machine-ready models based on the printer'sconfiguration is described with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a three-dimensional printer. In general,the printer 100 may include a build platform 102, a conveyor 104, anextruder 106, an x-y-z positioning assembly 108, and a controller 110that cooperate to fabricate an object 112 within a working volume 114 ofthe printer 100.

The build platform 102 may include a surface 116 that is rigid andsubstantially planar. The surface 116 may support the conveyer 104 inorder to provide a fixed, dimensionally and positionally stable platformon which to build the object 112.

The build platform 102 may include a thermal element 130 that controlsthe temperature of the build platform 102 through one or more activedevices 132 such as resistive elements that convert electrical currentinto heat, Peltier effect devices that can create a heating or coolingeffect, or any other thermoelectric heating and/or cooling devices. Thusthe thermal element 130 may be a heating element that provides activeheating to the build platform 102, a cooling element that providesactive cooling to the build platform 102, or a combination of these. Theheating element 130 may be coupled in a communicating relationship withthe controller 110 in order for the controller 110 to controllablyimpart heat to or remove heat from the surface 116 of the build platform102. Thus the thermal element 130 may include an active cooling elementpositioned within or adjacent to the build platform 102 to controllablycool the build platform 102.

It will be understood that a variety of other techniques may be employedto control a temperature of the build platform 102. For example, thebuild platform 102 may use a gas cooling or gas heating device such as avacuum chamber or the like in an interior thereof, which may be quicklypressurized to heat the build platform 102 or vacated to cool the buildplatform 102 as desired. As another example, a stream of heated orcooled gas may be applied directly to the build platform 102 before,during, and/or after a build process. Any device or combination ofdevices suitable for controlling a temperature of the build platform 102may be adapted to use as the thermal element 130 described herein.

The conveyer 104 may be formed of a sheet 118 of material that moves ina path 120 through the working volume 114. Within the working volume114, the path 120 may pass proximal to the surface 116 of the buildplatform 102—that is, resting directly on or otherwise supported by thesurface 116—in order to provide a rigid, positionally stable workingsurface for a build. It will be understood that while the path 120 isdepicted as a unidirectional arrow, the path 120 may be bidirectional,such that the conveyer 104 can move in either of two opposing directionsthrough the working volume 114. It will also be understood that the path120 may curve in any of a variety of ways, such as by looping underneathand around the build platform 102, over and/or under rollers, or arounddelivery and take up spools for the sheet 118 of material. Thus, whilethe path 120 may be generally (but not necessarily) uniform through theworking volume 114, the conveyer 104 may move in any direction suitablefor moving completed items from the working volume 114. The conveyor mayinclude a motor or other similar drive mechanism (not shown) coupled tothe controller 110 to control movement of the sheet 118 of materialalong the path 120. Various drive mechanisms are shown and described infurther detail below.

In general, the sheet 118 may be formed of a flexible material such as amesh material, a polyamide, a polyethylene terephthalate (commerciallyavailable in bi-axial form as MYLAR), a polyimide film (commerciallyavailable as KAPTON), or any other suitably strong polymer or othermaterial. The sheet 118 may have a thickness of about three to seventhousandths of an inch, or any other thickness that permits the sheet118 to follow the path 120 of the conveyer 104. For example, withsufficiently strong material, the sheet 118 may have a thickness of oneto three thousandths of an inch. The sheet 118 may instead be formed ofsections of rigid material joined by flexible links.

A working surface of the sheet 118 (e.g., an area on the top surface ofthe sheet 118 within the working volume 114) may be treated in a varietyof manners to assist with adhesion of build material to the surface 118and/or removal of completed objects from the surface 118. For example,the working surface may be abraded or otherwise textured (e.g., withgrooves, protrusions, and the like) to improve adhesion between theworking surface and the build material.

A variety of chemical treatments may be used on the working surface ofthe sheet 118 of material to further facilitate build processes asdescribed herein. For example, the chemical treatment may include adeposition of material that can be chemically removed from the conveyer104 by use of water, solvents, or the like. This may facilitateseparation of a completed object from the conveyer by dissolving thelayer of chemical treatment between the object 112 and the conveyor 104.The chemical treatments may include deposition of a material that easilyseparates from the conveyer such as a wax, mild adhesive, or the like.The chemical treatment may include a detachable surface such as anadhesive that is sprayed on to the conveyer 104 prior to fabrication ofthe object 112.

In one aspect, the conveyer 104 may be formed of a sheet of disposable,one-use material that is fed from a dispenser and consumed with eachsuccessive build.

In one aspect, the conveyer 104 may include a number of differentworking areas with different surface treatments adapted for differentbuild materials or processes. For example, different areas may havedifferent textures (smooth, abraded, grooved, etc.). Different areas maybe formed of different materials. Different areas may also have orreceive different chemical treatments. Thus a single conveyer 104 may beused in a variety of different build processes by selecting the variousworking areas as needed or desired.

The extruder 106 may include a chamber 122 in an interior thereof toreceive a build material. The build material may, for example, includeacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), high-density polyethylene(“HDPL”), polylactic acid, or any other suitable plastic, thermoplastic,or other material that can usefully be extruded to form athree-dimensional object. The extruder 106 may include an extrusion tip124 or other opening that includes an exit port with a circular, oval,slotted or other cross-sectional profile that extrudes build material ina desired cross-sectional shape.

The extruder 106 may include a heater 126 to melt thermoplastic or othermeltable build materials within the chamber 122 for extrusion through anextrusion tip 124 in liquid form. While illustrated in block form, itwill be understood that the heater 126 may include, e.g., coils ofresistive wire wrapped about the extruder 106, one or more heatingblocks with resistive elements to heat the extruder 106 with appliedcurrent, an inductive heater, or any other arrangement of heatingelements suitable for creating heat within the chamber 122 to melt thebuild material for extrusion. The extruder 106 may also or insteadinclude a motor 128 or the like to push the build material into thechamber 122 and/or through the extrusion tip 124.

In general operation (and by way of example rather than limitation), abuild material such as ABS plastic in filament form may be fed into thechamber 122 from a spool or the like by the motor 128, melted by theheater 126, and extruded from the extrusion tip 124. By controlling arate of the motor 128, the temperature of the heater 126, and/or otherprocess parameters, the build material may be extruded at a controlledvolumetric rate. It will be understood that a variety of techniques mayalso or instead be employed to deliver build material at a controlledvolumetric rate, which may depend upon the type of build material, thevolumetric rate desired, and any other factors. All such techniques thatmight be suitably adapted to delivery of build material for fabricationof a three-dimensional object are intended to fall within the scope ofthis disclosure. As noted above, other techniques may be employed forthree-dimensional printing, including extrusion-based techniques using abuild material that is curable and/or a build material of sufficientviscosity to retain shape after extrusion.

The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may generally be adapted tothree-dimensionally position the extruder 106 and the extrusion tip 124within the working volume 114. Thus by controlling the volumetric rateof delivery for the build material and the x, y, z position of theextrusion tip 124, the object 112 may be fabricated in three dimensionsby depositing successive layers of material in two-dimensional patternsderived, for example, from cross-sections of a computer model or othercomputerized representation of the object 112. A variety of arrangementsand techniques are known in the art to achieve controlled linearmovement along one or more axes. The x-y-z positioning assembly 108 may,for example, include a number of stepper motors 109 to independentlycontrol a position of the extruder within the working volume along eachof an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. More generally, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108 may include without limitation variouscombinations of stepper motors, encoded DC motors, gears, belts,pulleys, worm gears, threads, and so forth. Any such arrangementsuitable for controllably positioning the extruder 106 within theworking volume 114 may be adapted to use with the printer 100 describedherein.

By way of example and not limitation, the conveyor 104 may be affixed toa bed that provides x-y positioning within the plane of the conveyor104, while the extruder 106 can be independently moved along a z-axis.As another example, the extruder 106 may be stationary while theconveyor 104 is x, y, and z positionable. As another example, theextruder 106 may be x, y, and z positionable while the conveyer 104remains fixed (relative to the working volume 114). In yet anotherexample, the conveyer 104 may, by movement of the sheet 118 of material,control movement in one axis (e.g., the y-axis), while the extruder 106moves in the z-axis as well as one axis in the plane of the sheet 118.Thus in one aspect, the conveyor 104 may be attached to and move with atleast one of an x-axis stage (that controls movement along the x-axis),a y-axis stage (that controls movement along a y-axis), and a z-axisstage (that controls movement along a z-axis) of the x-y-z positioningassembly 108. More generally, any arrangement of motors and otherhardware controllable by the controller 110 may serve as the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108 in the printer 100 described herein. Still moregenerally, while an x, y, z coordinate system serves as a convenientbasis for positioning within three dimensions, any other coordinatesystem or combination of coordinate systems may also or instead beemployed, such as a positional controller and assembly that operatesaccording to cylindrical or spherical coordinates.

The controller 110 may be electrically coupled in a communicatingrelationship with the build platform 102, the conveyer 104, the x-y-zpositioning assembly 108, and the other various components of theprinter 100. In general, the controller 110 is operable to control thecomponents of the printer 100, such as the build platform 102, theconveyer 104, the x-y-z positioning assembly 108, and any othercomponents of the printer 100 described herein to fabricate the object112 from the build material. The controller 110 may include anycombination of software and/or processing circuitry suitable forcontrolling the various components of the printer 100 described hereinincluding without limitation microprocessors, microcontrollers,application-specific integrated circuits, programmable gate arrays, andany other digital and/or analog components, as well as combinations ofthe foregoing, along with inputs and outputs for transceiving controlsignals, drive signals, power signals, sensor signals, and so forth. Inone aspect, the controller 110 may include a microprocessor or otherprocessing circuitry with sufficient computational power to providerelated functions such as executing an operating system, providing agraphical user interface (e.g., to a display coupled to the controller110 or printer 100), convert three-dimensional models into toolinstructions, and operate a web server or otherwise host remote usersand/or activity through the network interface 136 described below.

A variety of additional sensors may be usefully incorporated into theprinter 100 described above. These are generically depicted as sensor134 in FIG. 1, for which the positioning and mechanical/electricalinterconnections with other elements of the printer 100 will depend uponthe type and purpose of the sensor 134 and will be readily understoodand appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The sensor 134 mayinclude a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of thesurface of the build platform 102. This may, for example, include athermistor or the like embedded within or attached below the surface ofthe build platform 102. This may also or instead include an infrareddetector or the like directed at the surface 116 of the build platform102 or the sheet 118 of material of the conveyer 104. Other sensors thatmay be usefully incorporated into the printer 100 as the sensor 134include a heat sensor, a volume flow rate sensor, a weight sensor, asound sensor, and a light sensor. Certain more specific examples areprovided below by way of example and not of limitation.

The sensor 134 may include a sensor to detect a presence (or absence) ofthe object 112 at a predetermined location on the conveyer 104. This mayinclude an optical detector arranged in a beam-breaking configuration tosense the presence of the object 112 at a location such as an end of theconveyer 104. This may also or instead include an imaging device andimage processing circuitry to capture an image of the working volume 114and analyze the image to evaluate a position of the object 112. Thissensor 134 may be used for example to ensure that the object 112 isremoved from the conveyor 104 prior to beginning a new build at thatlocation on the working surface such as the surface 116 of the buildplatform 102. Thus the sensor 134 may be used to determine whether anobject is present that should not be, or to detect when an object isabsent. The feedback from this sensor 134 may be used by the controller110 to issue processing interrupts or otherwise control operation of theprinter 100.

The sensor 134 may include a sensor that detects a position of theconveyer 104 along the path. This information may be obtained from anencoder in a motor that drives the conveyer 104, or using any othersuitable technique such as a visual sensor and corresponding fiducials(e.g., visible patterns, holes, or areas with opaque, specular,transparent, or otherwise detectable marking) on the sheet 118.

The sensor 134 may include a heater (instead of or in addition to thethermal element 130) to heat the working volume 114 such as a radiantheater or forced hot air to maintain the object 112 at a fixed, elevatedtemperature throughout a build. The sensor 134 may also or insteadinclude a cooling element to maintain the object 112 at a predeterminedsub-ambient temperature throughout a build.

The sensor 134 may also or instead include at least one video camera.The video camera may generally capture images of the working volume 114,the object 112, or any other hardware associated with the printer 100.The video camera may provide a remote video feed through the networkinterface 136, which feed may be available to remote users through auser interface maintained by, e.g., remote hardware such as athree-dimensional print server, or within a web page provided by a webserver hosted by the three-dimensional printer 100. Thus in one aspectthere is disclosed herein a user interface adapted to present a videofeed from at least one video camera of a three-dimensional printer to aremote user through a user interface.

The sensor 134 may also include more complex sensing and processingsystems or subsystems, such as a three-dimensional scanner using opticaltechniques (e.g., stereoscopic imaging, or shape from motion imaging),structured light techniques, or any other suitable sensing andprocessing hardware that might extract three-dimensional informationfrom the working volume 114. In another aspect, the sensor 134 mayinclude a machine vision system that captures images and analyzes imagecontent to obtain information about the status of a job, working volume114, or an object 112 therein. The machine vision system may support avariety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/orrobotic guidance functions for the three-dimensional printer 100including without limitation pass/fail decisions, error detection (andcorresponding audible or visual alerts), shape detection, positiondetection, orientation detection, collision avoidance, and so forth.

Other components, generically depicted as other hardware 135, may alsobe included, such as input devices including a keyboard, touchpad,mouse, switches, dials, buttons, motion sensors, and the like, as wellas output devices such as a display, a speaker or other audiotransducer, light emitting diodes, and so forth. Other hardware 135 mayalso or instead include a variety of cable connections and/or hardwareadapters for connecting to, e.g., external computers, external hardware,external instrumentation or data acquisition systems, and so forth.

The printer 100 may include, or be connected in a communicatingrelationship with, a network interface 136. The network interface 136may include any combination of hardware and software suitable forcoupling the controller 110 and other components of the printer 100 to aremote computer in a communicating relationship through a data network.By way of example and not limitation, this may include electronics for awired or wireless Ethernet connection operating according to the IEEE802.11 standard (or any variation thereof), or any other short or longrange wireless networking components or the like. This may includehardware for short range data communications such as BlueTooth or aninfrared transceiver, which may be used to couple into a local areanetwork or the like that is in turn coupled to a data network such asthe Internet. This may also or instead include hardware/software for aWiMax connection or a cellular network connection (using, e.g., CDMA,GSM, LTE, or any other suitable protocol or combination of protocols).Consistently, the controller 110 may be configured to controlparticipation by the printer 100 in any network to which the networkinterface 136 is connected, such as by autonomously connecting to thenetwork to retrieve printable content, or responding to a remote requestfor status or availability.

FIG. 2 depicts a networked three-dimensional printing environment. Ingeneral, the environment 200 may include a data network 202interconnecting a plurality of participating devices in a communicatingrelationship. The participating devices may, for example, include anynumber of three-dimensional printers 204 (also referred tointerchangeably herein as “printers”), client devices 206, print servers208, content sources 210, mobile devices 212, and other resources 216.

The data network 202 may be any network(s) or internetwork(s) suitablefor communicating data and control information among participants in theenvironment 200. This may include public networks such as the Internet,private networks, telecommunications networks such as the PublicSwitched Telephone Network or cellular networks using third generation(e.g., 3G or IMT-2000), fourth generation (e.g., LTE (E-UTRA) orWiMax-Advanced (IEEE 802.16m)) and/or other technologies, as well as anyof a variety of corporate area or local area networks and otherswitches, routers, hubs, gateways, and the like that might be used tocarry data among participants in the environment 200.

The three-dimensional printers 204 may be any computer-controlleddevices for three-dimensional fabrication, including without limitationany of the three-dimensional printers or other fabrication orprototyping devices described above. In general, each such device mayinclude a network interface comprising, e.g., a network interface card,which term is used broadly herein to include any hardware (along withsoftware, firmware, or the like to control operation of same) suitablefor establishing and maintaining wired and/or wireless communications.The network interface card may include without limitation wired Ethernetnetwork interface cards (“NICs”), wireless 802.11 networking cards,wireless 802.11 USB devices, or other hardware for wireless local areanetworking. The network interface may also or instead include cellularnetwork hardware, wide area wireless network hardware or any otherhardware for centralized, ad hoc, peer-to-peer, or other radiocommunications that might be used to carry data. In another aspect, thenetwork interface may include a serial or USB port to directly connectto a computing device such as a desktop computer that, in turn, providesmore general network connectivity to the data network 202.

The printers 204 might be made to fabricate any object, practical orotherwise, that is amenable to fabrication according to each printer'scapabilities. This may be a model of a house or a tea cup, as depicted,or any other object such as gears or other machine hardware,replications of scanned three-dimensional objects, or fanciful works ofart.

Client devices 206 may be any devices within the environment 200operated by users to initiate, manage, monitor, or otherwise interactwith print jobs at the three-dimensional printers 204. This may includedesktop computers, laptop computers, network computers, tablets, or anyother computing device that can participate in the environment 200 ascontemplated herein. Each client device 206 generally provides a userinterface, which may include a graphical user interface, a text orcommand line interface, a voice-controlled interface, and/or agesture-based interface to control operation of remote three-dimensionalprinters 204. The user interface may be maintained by a locallyexecuting application on one of the client devices 206 that receivesdata and status information from, e.g., the printers 204 and printservers 208 concerning pending or executing print jobs. The userinterface may create a suitable display on the client device 206 foruser interaction. In other embodiments, the user interface may beremotely served and presented on one of the client devices 206, such aswhere a print server 208 or one of the three-dimensional printers 204includes a web server that provides information through one or more webpages or the like that can be displayed within a web browser or similarclient executing on one of the client devices 206. In one aspect, theuser interface may include a voice controlled interface that receivesspoken commands from a user and/or provides spoken feedback to the user.

A client device 206 may, for example include a removable memory device207 such as a USB drive, memory stick, or the like, which may be usedfor example to transfer digital models of three-dimensional objects toprinters 204.

The print servers 208 may include data storage, a network interface, anda processor and/or other processing circuitry. In the followingdescription, where the functions or configuration of a print server 208are described, this is intended to include corresponding functions orconfiguration (e.g., by programming) of a processor of the print server208. In general, the print servers 208 (or processors thereof) mayperform a variety of processing tasks related to management of networkedprinting. For example, the print servers 208 may manage print jobsreceived from one or more of the client devices 206, and provide relatedsupporting functions such as content search and management. A printserver 208 may also include a web server that provides web-based accessby the client devices 206 to the capabilities of the print server 208. Aprint server 208 may also communicate periodically withthree-dimensional printers 204 in order to obtain status informationconcerning, e.g., availability of printers and/or the status ofparticular print jobs, any of which may be subsequently presented to auser through the web server or any other suitable interface. A printserver 208 may also maintain a list of available three-dimensionalprinters 204, and may automatically select one of the three-dimensionalprinters 204 for a user-submitted print job, or may permit a user tospecify a single printer, or a group of preferred printers, forfabricating an object. Where the print server 208 selects the printerautomatically, any number of criteria may be used such as geographicalproximity, printing capabilities, current print queue, fees (if any) foruse of a particular three-dimensional printer 204, and so forth. Wherethe user specifies criteria, this may similarly include any relevantaspects of three-dimensional printers 204, and may permit use ofabsolute criteria (e.g., filters) or preferences, which may be weightedpreferences or unweighted preferences, any of which may be used by aprint server 208 to allocate a print job to a suitable resource.

In one aspect, the print server 208 may be configured to supportinteractive voice control of one of the printers 204. For example, theprint server 208 may be configured to receive a voice signal (e.g., indigitized audio form) from a microphone or other audio input of theprinter 204, and to process the voice signal to extract relevant contentsuch as a command for the printer. Where the command is recognized as aprint command, the voice signal may be further processed to extractadditional context or relevant details. For example, the voice signalmay be processed to extract an object identifier that specifies anobject for printing, e.g., by filename, file metadata, or semanticcontent. The voice signal may also be processed to extract a dimensionalspecification, such as a scale or absolute dimension for an object. Theprint server 208 may then generate suitable control signals for returnto the printer 204 to cause the printer 204 to fabricate the object.Where an error or omission is detected, the print server 208 may returna request for clarification to the printer 204, which may render therequest in spoken form through a speaker, or within a user interface ofthe printer 204 or an associated device.

Other user preferences may be usefully stored at the print server 208 tofacilitate autonomous, unsupervised fabrication of content from contentsources 210. For example, a print server 208 may store a user'spreference on handling objects greater than a build volume of a printer.These preferences may control whether to resize the object, whether tobreak the object into multiple sub-objects for fabrication, and whetherto transmit multiple sub-objects to a single printer or multipleprinters. In addition, user preferences or requirements may be stored,such as multi-color printing capability, build material options andcapabilities, and so forth. More generally, a print queue (which may bea printer-specific or user-specific queue, and which may be hosted at aprinter 204, a server 208, or some combination of these) may be managedby a print server 208 according to one or more criteria from a remoteuser requesting a print job. The print server 208 may also store userpreferences or criteria for filtering content, e.g., for automaticprinting or other handling. While this is described below as a featurefor autonomous operation of a printer (such as a printer that locallysubscribes to a syndicated model source), any criteria that can be usedto identify models of potential interest by explicit type (e.g., labeledin model metadata), implicit type (e.g., determined based on analysis ofthe model), source, and so forth, may be provided to the print server208 and used to automatically direct new content to one or moreuser-specified ones of the three-dimensional printers 204.

In one aspect, the processor of the print server may be configured tostore a plurality of print jobs submitted to the web server in a log andto provide an analysis of print activity based on the log. This mayinclude any type of analysis that might be useful to participants in theenvironment 200. For example, the analysis may include tracking of thepopularity of particular objects, or of particular content sources. Theanalysis may include tracking of which three-dimensional printers 204are most popular or least popular, or related statistics such as theaverage backlog of pending print jobs at a number of thethree-dimensional printers 204. The analysis may include success of aparticular printer in fabricating a particular model or of a particularprinter in completing print jobs generally. More generally, anystatistics or data may be obtained, and any analysis may be performed,that might be useful to users (e.g., when requesting prints), contentsources (e.g., when choosing new printable objects for publication),providers of fabrication resources (e.g., when setting fees), or networkfacilitators such as the print servers 208.

A print server 208 may also maintain a database 209 of content, alongwith an interface for users at client devices 206 to search the database209 and request fabrication of objects in the database 209 using any ofthe three-dimensional printers 204. Thus in one aspect, a print server208 (or any system including the print server 208) may include adatabase 209 of three-dimensional models, and the print server 208 mayact as a server that provides a search engine for locating a particularthree-dimensional model in the database 209. The search engine may be atext-based search engine using keyword text queries, plain languagequeries, and so forth. The search engine may also or instead include animage-based search engine configured to identify three-dimensionalmodels similar to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image provideby a user.

In another aspect, the printer server 208 may periodically search forsuitable content at remote locations on the data network, which contentmay be retrieved to the database 209, or have its remote location (e.g.,a URL or other network location identifier) stored in the database 209.In another aspect, the print server 208 may provide an interface forsubmission of objects from remote users, along with any suitablemetadata such as a title, tags, creator information, descriptivenarrative, pictures, recommended printer settings, and so forth. In oneaspect, the database 209 may be manually curated according to anydesired standards. In another aspect, printable objects in the database209 may be manually or automatically annotated according to contenttype, popularity, editorial commentary, and so forth.

The print server 208 may more generally provide a variety of managementfunctions. For example, the print server 204 may store a location of apredetermined alternative three-dimensional printer to execute a printjob from a remote user in the event of a failure by the one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204. In another aspect, theprint server 208 may maintain exclusive control over at least one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204, such that other usersand/or print servers cannot control the printer. In another aspect, theprint server 208 may submit a print job to a first available one of theplurality of three-dimensional printers 204.

In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide an interface formanaging subscriptions to sources of content. This may include tools forsearching existing subscriptions, locating or specifying new sources,subscribing to sources of content, and so forth. In one aspect, a printserver 208 may manage subscriptions and automatically direct new contentfrom these subscriptions to a three-dimensional printer 204 according toany user-specified criteria. Thus while it is contemplated that athree-dimensional printer 204 may autonomously subscribe to sources ofcontent through a network interface and receive new content directlyfrom such sources, it is also contemplated that this feature may bemaintained through a remote resource such as a print server 208.

A print server 208 may maintain print queues for participatingthree-dimensional printers 204. This approach may advantageouslyalleviate backlogs at individual printers 204, which may have limitedmemory capacity for pending print jobs. More generally, a print server208 may, by communicating with multiple three-dimensional printers 204,obtain a view of utilization of multiple networked resources thatpermits a more efficient allocation of print jobs than would be possiblethrough simple point-to-point communications among users and printers.Print queues may also be published by a print server 208 so that userscan view pending queues for a variety of different three-dimensionalprinters 204 prior to selecting a resource for a print job. In oneaspect, the print queue may be published as a number of print jobs andsize of print jobs so that a requester can evaluate likely delays. Inanother aspect, the print queue may be published as an estimated timeuntil a newly submitted print job can be initiated.

In one aspect, the print queue of one of the print servers 208 mayinclude one or more print jobs for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers 204. The print queue may be stored locally atthe one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. In anotheraspect, the print queue may be allocated between the database 209 and alocal memory of the three-dimensional printer 204. In another aspect,the print queue may be stored, for example, in the database 209 of theprint server 208. As used here, the term ‘print queue’ is intended toinclude print data (e.g., the three-dimensional model or toolinstructions to fabricate an object) for a number of print job (whichmay be arranged for presentation in order of expected execution), aswell as any metadata concerning print jobs. Thus, a portion of the printqueue such as the metadata (e.g., size, status, time to completion) maybe usefully communicated to a print server 208 for sharing among userswhile another portion of the print queue such as the model data may bestored at a printer in preparation for execution of a print job.

Print queues may implement various user preferences on prioritization.For example, for a commercial enterprise, longer print jobs may bedeferred for after normal hours of operation (e.g., after 5:00 p.m.),while shorter print jobs may be executed first if they can be completedbefore the end of a business day. In this manner, objects can beidentified and fabricated from within the print queue in a manner thatpermits as many objects as possible to be fabricated before apredetermined closing time. Similarly, commercial providers offabrication services may charge explicitly for prioritized fabrication,and implement this prioritization by prioritizing print queues in acorresponding fashion.

In another aspect, a print server 208 may provide a virtual workspacefor a user. In this virtual workspace, a user may search local or remotedatabases of printable objects, save objects of interest (or linksthereto), manage pending prints, specify preferences for receivingstatus updates (e.g., by electronic mail or SMS text), managesubscriptions to content, search for new subscription sources, and soforth. In one aspect, the virtual workspace may be, or may include,web-based design tools or a web-based design interface that permits auser to create and modify models. In one aspect, the virtual workspacemay be deployed on the web, while permitting direct fabrication of amodel developed within that environment on a user-specified one of thethree-dimensional printers 204, thus enabling a web-based designenvironment that is directly coupled to one or more fabricationresources.

The content sources 210 may include any sources of content forfabrication with a three-dimensional printer 204. This may, for example,include databases of objects accessible through a web interface orapplication programming interface. This may also or instead includeindividual desktop computers or the like configured as a server forhosted access, or configured to operate as a peer in a peer-to-peernetwork. This may also or instead include content subscription services,which may be made available in an unrestricted fashion, or may be madeavailable on a paid subscription basis, or on an authenticated basisbased upon some other relationship (e.g., purchase of a related productor a ticket to an event). It will be readily appreciated that any numberof content providers may serve as content sources 210 as contemplatedherein. By way of non-limiting example, the content sources 210 mayinclude destinations such as amusement parks, museums, theaters,performance venues, or the like, any of which may provide contentrelated to users who purchase tickets. The content sources 210 mayinclude manufacturers such as automobile, computer, consumerelectronics, or home appliance manufacturers, any of which may providecontent related to upgrades, maintenance, repair, or other support ofexisting products that have been purchased. The content sources 210 mayinclude artists or other creative enterprises that sell various works ofinterest. The content sources 210 may include engineering orarchitectural firms that provide marketing or advertising pieces toexisting or prospective customers. The content sources 210 may includemarketing or advertising firms that provide promotional items forclients. More generally, the content sources 210 may be any individualor enterprise that provides single or serial objects for fabrication bythe three-dimensional printers 204 described herein.

One or more web servers 211 may provide web-based access to and from anyof the other participants in the environment 200. While depicted as aseparate network entity, it will be readily appreciated that a webserver 211 may be logically or physically associated with one of theother devices described herein, and may, for example, provide a userinterface for web access to one of the three-dimensional printers 204,one of the print servers 208 (or databases 209 coupled thereto), one ofthe content sources 210, or any of the other resources 216 describedbelow in a manner that permits user interaction through the data network202, e.g., from a client device 206 or mobile device 212.

The mobile devices 212 may be any form of mobile device, such as anywireless, battery-powered device, that might be used to interact withthe networked printing environment 200. The mobile devices 212 may, forexample, include laptop computers, tablets, thin client networkcomputers, portable digital assistants, messaging devices, cellularphones, smart phones, portable media or entertainment devices, and soforth. In general, mobile devices 212 may be operated by users for avariety of user-oriented functions such as to locate printable objects,to submit objects for printing, to monitor a personally owned printer,and/or to monitor a pending print job. A mobile device 212 may includelocation awareness technology such as Global Positioning System (“GPS”),which may obtain information that can be usefully integrated into aprinting operation in a variety of ways. For example, a user may selectan object for printing and submit a model of the object to a printserver, such as any of the print servers described above. The printserver may determine a location of the mobile device 212 initiating theprint job and locate a closest printer for fabrication of the object.

In another aspect, a printing function may be location-based, using theGPS input (or cellular network triangulation, proximity detection, orany other suitable location detection techniques). For example, a usermay be authorized to print a model only when the user is near a location(e.g., within a geo-fenced area or otherwise proximal to a location), oronly after a user has visited a location. Thus a user may be providedwith printable content based upon locations that the user has visited,or while within a certain venue such as an amusement park, museum,theater, sports arena, hotel, or the like. Similarly, a matrix barcodesuch as a QR code may be employed for localization.

The other resources 216 may include any other software or hardwareresources that may be usefully employed in networked printingapplications as contemplated herein. For example, the other resources216 may include payment processing servers or platforms used toauthorize payment for content subscriptions, content purchases, orprinting resources. As another example, the other resources 216 mayinclude social networking platforms that may be used, e.g., to sharethree-dimensional models and/or fabrication results according to auser's social graph. In another aspect, the other resources 216 mayinclude certificate servers or other security resources for third partyverification of identity, encryption or decryption of three-dimensionalmodels, and so forth. In another aspect, the other resources 216 mayinclude online tools for three-dimensional design or modeling, as wellas databases of objects, surface textures, build supplies, and so forth.In another aspect, the other resources 216 may include a desktopcomputer or the like co-located (e.g., on the same local area networkwith, or directly coupled to through a serial or USB cable) with one ofthe three-dimensional printers 204. In this case, the other resource 216may provide supplemental functions for the three-dimensional printer 204in a networked printing context such as maintaining a print queue oroperating a web server for remote interaction with the three-dimensionalprinter 204. Other resources 216 also include supplemental resourcessuch as three-dimensional scanners, cameras, andpost-processing/finishing machines or resources. More generally, anyresource that might be usefully integrated into a networked printingenvironment may be one of the resources 216 as contemplated herein.

It will be readily appreciated that the various components of thenetworked printing environment 200 described above may be arranged andconfigured to support networked printing in a variety of ways. Forexample, in one aspect there is disclosed herein a networked computerwith a print server and a web interface to support networkedthree-dimensional printing. This device may include a print server, adatabase, and a web server as discussed above. The print server may becoupled through a data network to a plurality of three-dimensionalprinters and configured to receive status information from one or moresensors for each one of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. Theprint server may be further configured to manage a print queue for eachone of the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The database may becoupled in a communicating relationship with the print server andconfigured to store print queue data and status information for each oneof the plurality of three-dimensional printers. The web server may beconfigured to provide a user interface over the data network to a remoteuser, the user interface adapted to present the status information andthe print queue data for one or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers to the user and the user interface adapted toreceive a print job from the remote user for one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers.

The three-dimensional printer 204 described above may be configured toautonomously subscribe to syndicated content sources and periodicallyreceive and print objects from those sources. Thus in one aspect thereis disclosed herein a device including any of the three-dimensionalprinters described above; a network interface; and a processor (whichmay without limitation include the controller for the printer). Theprocessor may be configured to subscribe to a plurality of sources ofcontent (such as the content sources 210 described above) selected by auser for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer through thenetwork interface. The processor may be further configured to receiveone or more three-dimensional models from the plurality of contentsources 210 and to select one of the one or more three-dimensionalmodels for fabrication by the three-dimensional printer 204 according toa user preference for prioritization. The user preference may, forexample, preferentially prioritize particular content sources 210, orparticular types of content (e.g., tools, games, artwork, upgrade parts,or content related to a particular interest of the user).

The memory of a three-dimensional printer 204 may be configured to storea queue of one or more additional three-dimensional models not selectedfor immediate fabrication. The processor may be programmed toperiodically re-order or otherwise alter the queue according topre-determined criteria or manual user input. For example, the processormay be configured to evaluate a new three-dimensional model based upon auser preference for prioritization, and to place the newthree-dimensional model at a corresponding position in the queue. Theprocessor may also or instead be configured to retrieve content from oneof the content sources 210 by providing authorization credentials forthe user, which may be stored at the three-dimensional printer orotherwise accessible for presentation to the content source 210. Theprocessor may be configured to retrieve content from at least one of theplurality of content sources 210 by authorizing a payment from the userto a content provider. The processor may be configured to search asecond group of sources of content (such as any of the content sources210 described above) according to one or more search criteria provide bya user. This may also or instead include demographic information for theuser, contextual information for the user, or any other implicit orexplicit user information.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a system for managingsubscriptions to three-dimensional content sources such as any of thecontent sources 210 described above. The system may include a web serverconfigured to provide a user interface over a data network, which userinterface is adapted to receive user preferences from a user including asubscription to a plurality of sources of a plurality ofthree-dimensional models, a prioritization of content from the pluralityof sources, and an identification of one or more fabrication resourcescoupled to the data network and suitable for fabricating objects fromthe plurality of three-dimensional models. The system may also include adatabase to store the user preferences, and to receive and store theplurality of three-dimensional models as they are issued by theplurality of sources. The system may include a processor (e.g., of aprint server 208, or alternatively of a client device 206 interactingwith the print server 208) configured to select one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models for fabrication based upon the prioritization.The system may include a print server configured to communicate with theone or more fabrication resources through the data network, to determinean availability of the one or more fabrication resources, and totransmit the selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional modelsto one of the one or more fabrication resources.

In another aspect, there is disclosed herein a network ofthree-dimensional printing resources comprising a plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers including a network interface; a serverconfigured to manage execution of a plurality of print jobs by theplurality of three-dimensional printers; and a data network that couplesthe server and the plurality of three-dimensional printers in acommunicating relationship.

In general as described above, the server may include a web-based userinterface configured for a user to submit a new print job to the serverand to monitor progress of the new print job. The web-based userinterface may permit video monitoring of each one of the plurality ofthree-dimensional printers, or otherwise provide information useful to aremote user including image-based, simulation-based, textual-based orother information concerning status of a current print. The web-baseduser interface may include voice input and/or output for network-basedvoice control of a printer.

The fabrication resources may, for example, include any of thethree-dimensional printers 204 described above. One or more of thefabrication resources may be a private fabrication resource secured witha credential-based access system. The user may provide, as a userpreference and prior to use of the private fabrication resource,credentials for accessing the private fabrication resource. In anotheraspect, the one or more fabrication resources may include a commercialfabrication resource. In this case the user may provide an authorizationto pay for use of the commercial fabrication resource in the form of auser preference prior to use of the commercial fabrication resource.

Many current three-dimensional printers require significantmanufacturing time to fabricate an object. At the same time, certainprinters may include a tool or system to enable multiple, sequentialobject prints without human supervision or intervention, such as aconveyor belt. In this context, prioritizing content may be particularlyimportant to prevent crowding out of limited fabrication resources withlow priority content that arrives periodically for autonomousfabrication. As a significant advantage, the systems and methodsdescribed herein permit prioritization using a variety of user-specifiedcriteria, and permit use of multiple fabrication resources inappropriate circumstances. Thus prioritizing content as contemplatedherein may include any useful form of prioritization. For example, thismay include prioritizing the content according to source. The contentsources 210 may have an explicit type that specifies the nature of thesource (e.g., commercial or paid content, promotional content, productsupport content, non-commercial) or the type of content provided (e.g.,automotive, consumer electronics, radio control hobbyist, contestprizes, and so forth). Prioritizing content may include prioritizing thecontent according to this type. The three-dimensional models themselvesmay also or instead include a type (e.g., tool, game, home, art,jewelry, replacement part, upgrade part, etc.) or any other metadata,and prioritizing the content may include prioritizing the contentaccording to this type and/or metadata.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to select two or more ofthe plurality of three-dimensional models for concurrent fabrication bytwo or more of the plurality of fabrication resources based upon theprioritization when a priority of the two or more of the plurality ofthree-dimensional models exceeds a predetermined threshold. That is,where particular models individually have a priority above thepredetermined threshold, multiple fabrication resources may be locatedand employed to fabricate these models concurrently. The predeterminedthreshold may be evaluated for each model individually, or for all ofthe models collectively such as on an aggregate or average basis.

In one aspect, the processor may be configured to adjust prioritizationbased upon a history of fabrication when a number of objects fabricatedfrom one of the plurality of sources exceeds a predetermined threshold.Thus, for example, a user may limit the number of objects fabricatedfrom a particular source, giving subsequent priority to content fromother sources regardless of an objectively determined priority for a newobject from the particular source. This prevents a single source fromoverwhelming a single fabrication resource, such as a personalthree-dimensional printer operated by the user, in a manner that crowdsout other content from other sources of possible interest. At the sametime, this may enable content sources 210 to publish on any convenientschedule, without regard to whether and how subscribers will be able tofabricate objects.

In another aspect, the processor may be configured to identify one ormore additional sources of content based upon a similarity to one of theplurality of sources of content. For example, where a content source 210is an automotive manufacturer, the processor may perform a search forother automotive manufactures, related parts suppliers, mechanics, andso forth. The processor may also or instead be configured to identifyone or more additional sources of content based upon a social graph ofthe user. This may, for example, include analyzing a social graph ofrelationships from the user to identify groups with common interests,shared professions, a shared history of schools or places of employment,or a common current or previous residence location, any of which may beused to locate other sources of content that may be of interest to theuser.

FIGS. 3A-3B show a flowchart of a method for providing machine-readymodels based on printer configuration. Specifically, FIG. 3B is acontinuation of the method 300 shown in FIG. 3A. In general,machine-ready models may take into account a printer's properties andconfiguration in order to plan toolpaths. Whereas slicers that createon-demand models, or services that look up and provide pre-sliced,machine-ready models may not have knowledge of a printer's properties,the method 300 of FIGS. 3A-3B includes a technique for providingsuitable machine-ready models taking into account a printer'sconfiguration. The method 300 of FIGS. 3A-3B may be used for any of theprinters as described herein, e.g., three-dimensional printers, or forother devices and systems. For example, an endpoint in the method 300may be a printer or another endpoint, e.g., an endpoint that utilizes amodel in its operation, where the model can be created or chosen basedon the endpoint's configuration or properties.

There are numerous makes and models of printers, each of which may havedifferent physical capabilities such as build volume, extruder types,minimum step sizes, top speeds, operating temperature ranges, and soforth. Similarly, there may be user configurations, user preferences andthe like that are defined in software, as well as hardware accessoriessuch as cameras, three-dimensional scanners, heated build platforms,conveyors, and so forth. Additionally, these printer configurations maychange over time, either resulting from manufacturer updates to improveprinter performance or user modifications for convenience, specialtyapplications, and so forth. Against this backdrop, the methods andsystems described herein provide useful techniques for determiningprinter capabilities and matching these capabilities to pre-existingmachine-ready models.

As shown in step 302, the method 300 may include receiving a request tofabricate an object from a three-dimensional model. This request maycome from any of a variety of automated or manually controlled sources,and may be directed to any of a variety of resources including a localprinter, a remote print server, and so forth. Receiving the request tofabricate the object may for example include receiving the request at aremote print server, receiving the request at the target printer,receiving the request at a computer locally connected to the targetprinter, receiving the request at another location, or any combinationthereof. Receiving the request to fabricate the object from thethree-dimensional model may also or instead include receiving therequest from the target printer. The request may also or instead bereceived from a user, e.g., through a remote device or local device thatinteracts with at least one of the print server, the target printer, oranother resource, e.g., through a network. The request may also bereceived from another requester or from multiple requesters.

The object may include any object that can be fabricated or manufacturedby the printers as described herein, e.g., an object fabricated in threedimensions by depositing successive layers of material intwo-dimensional patterns.

The three-dimensional model may include a computer model or othercomputerized representation of the object such as an STL file containinga polygonal mesh or the like characterizing an object in threedimensions. The three-dimensional model may also or instead include dataderived from a scan of the object such as a point cloud or the like. Thethree-dimensional model may also or instead include any otherthree-dimensional surface or volumetric representation of the object, orany combination of the foregoing that is useful for describing athree-dimensional form of an object. The three-dimensional model mayinclude a three-dimensional design created by a user, e.g., using localor online tools for three-dimensional design and modeling. Thethree-dimensional model may be located on the target printer, at acomputer locally connected to the target printer (or remotely connectedto the target printer or other component through a network), at theprint server, on a database or other resource connected to any of theforegoing (e.g., a service or webpage that provides three-dimensionalmodels for fabricating objects corresponding to same), and the like. Ingeneral, the three-dimensional model may be any suitable digitalrepresentation of a three-dimensional shape, such as acomputer-automated design (CAD) model, a stereolithography (STL) file, a3DS file, a DEM file, a COLLADA file, or any other such file. Thethree-dimensional model may be used as the basis for a machine-readyrepresentation corresponding thereto, where the machine-readyrepresentation contains instructions that can be directly executed onthe target printer for fabrication of the object. To this end, themachine-ready representation may be configured for use on the targetprinter based on the properties of the target printer.

As shown in step 304, the method 300 may include determining a targetprinter to fabricate the object. Determining the target printer mayinclude identifying a selected printer in the request. The selectedprinter may have been manually selected by a user, e.g., the requester.It will be understood that any selection or input provided by a userdiscussed herein may be done through a graphical user interface (GUI)included as part of the systems described herein, e.g., a GUI on thetarget printer, a GUI on a computer connected to the target printer, aGUI on a mobile device, and so on. Determining the target printer mayalso or instead include selecting the target printer at a remote printserver based on one or more selection criteria. The selection criteriamay include any criteria that provides for selection of the targetprinter, e.g., a logical, logistically convenient, or practicalselection of the target printer. The selection criteria may includeinformation related to the three-dimensional model (or an aspectthereof, e.g., metadata included therein), the object to be fabricated(e.g., the size, shape, color, material, and so forth), a print queue, aprioritization, a location of the printer or requester, a timeline,printer attributes (e.g., capabilities, properties, features, functions,and the like), and so forth. The target printer may be any of theprinters as described herein, or another endpoint, component, machine,or resource. In one aspect, the target printer may include more than oneprinter.

As shown in step 306, the method 300 may include querying the targetprinter for one or more properties relevant to fabrication of theobject. The query may be initiated by the requester, the print server,or another resource in a system utilizing the method 300. The query mayrequest specific properties of the target printer, or the query may be ageneral query for properties or information relevant to fabrication ofan object on the target printer. In one aspect, numerous queries aresent to numerous printers, e.g., for use in selecting one or more of theprinters as the target printer. In another aspect, the query is sent toa printer that is not necessarily the target printer as describedherein, e.g., when the query or information received from a response tothe query is used for the selection of the target printer.

The properties may include one or more of information, capabilities,features, functions, configurations, data, and the like relevant tofabrication of the object. It will be understood that throughout thisdisclosure the terms ‘property’ and ‘configuration’ (and variationsthereof) may be used interchangeably, and thus, unless explicitly statedotherwise or clear from the context, a property may include aconfiguration and vice-versa. The properties may include a hardwareconfiguration of the target printer, a software configuration, a usersetting or preference, or a firmware configuration of the targetprinter.

The hardware configuration may include, without limitation, one or moreof a printer type (e.g., printer brand or general type of fabricationmachine), a printer model, a printer version or generation, an extrudertype, an extruder nozzle diameter, a build volume (e.g., build volumesize, build volume shape, and so forth), a build platform type, a buildplatform size, a processor type, a memory capacity, an identificationnumber (e.g., a hardware version number or model number), a speed (e.g.,top speed) for linear movement of a tool (e.g., a tool forthree-dimensional fabrication of an object), a step size for movement ofthe tool, a z-axis step size (e.g., a minimum z-axis step size), toolpath limitations, a gantry type or configuration (e.g., including gantrylimitations and capabilities), a build material type or other propertiesof the build material (e.g., filament properties), operating temperatureranges, and so forth. The hardware configuration may also includeminimum and maximum travel speeds, shell speeds, deposition speeds, fillspeeds, acceleration settings (e.g., jerk information such as jerklimits, acceleration rates, and the like), and so forth.

The hardware configuration may include an automatically detectedhardware reconfiguration or a manually specified hardwarereconfiguration. For example, if a user has provided a new orreplacement component on their printer, the user can manually update thehardware configuration associated with the printer to reflect the newcomponent, e.g., through a GUI or the like. Alternatively, the printer(or another component of the system, e.g., the print server) canautomatically detect that a new component is being utilized, and updatethe hardware configuration accordingly. In this manner, the hardwareconfiguration may be continuously monitored and updated. When a hardwarereconfiguration occurs to the printer, the printer (or another componentof the system, e.g., the print server) can send a notification or thelike to users, e.g., users that are connected to the printer through anetwork. The notification may include a notice of the new component, andmay include an action that the user must perform to request or receivethe hardware reconfiguration. If users are not connected to othercomponents of the system, they may receive the hardware reconfigurationwhen they connect to the system components through a network or thelike.

The hardware configuration may be determined or detected automaticallyby a component or sensor of the printer. The hardware configuration mayalso or instead be determined through movement or sensing provided by acomponent of the printer. For example, an extruder or tool head on aprinter may sense its configuration or the configuration of anothercomponent of the printer such as the build platform or gantry. Acomponent of the printer may also or instead include circuitry thatidentifies components used in a printer or their configuration thereof.The circuitry may utilize radio frequency identification tags or thelike associated with components or configurations of the printer. Theprinter or a printing system may also or instead include a tool crib orthe like, where a sensor system determines which tools are utilized bythe printer at a given time. Determination of the hardware configurationmay utilize any of the devices, systems, and techniques described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/081,922 filed on Nov. 15, 2013, theentire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The software configuration of the target printer may include programmingor applications related to the printer, the print server, the user(e.g., a mobile device of the user, or a computer of the user), anotherresource, or any combination thereof. The software configuration of thetarget printer may include a version of a slicer used by the targetprinter, or a version of a slicer that typically creates machine-readyrepresentations of three-dimensional models for the target printer. Thesoftware configuration may also or instead include slicer settings,e.g., plate variability and the like. The software configuration of thetarget printer may include the operating system used by the targetprinter. The software configuration of the target printer may also orinstead include the communications software used by the target printer.In a similar manner as discussed above for the hardware configuration,the software configuration may include an automatically detectedsoftware reconfiguration or a manually specified softwarereconfiguration.

The firmware configuration of the target printer may include thefirmware version or other aspects and data related to the firmwareutilized by the target printer or an associated computing device. In oneaspect, the printer firmware has information related to the hardware andsoftware configuration of the printer. For example, the hardware andsoftware configurations may be stored in firmware (e.g., the printerfirmware can know its hardware configuration), or error checking theconfiguration of the printer may occur in firmware. In a similar manneras discussed above for the hardware configuration, the firmwareconfiguration may include an automatically detected firmwarereconfiguration or a manually specified firmware reconfiguration. Forexample, the firmware configuration of the target printer may be updatedwhen the firmware of the target printer is updated.

As discussed above, the properties may also or instead include printingcapabilities of the target printer. The printing capabilities mayinclude without limitation color capabilities (e.g., one color,multi-color, color mixing, color changing, and the like), sizecapabilities (e.g., overall size or minimum feature size), speedcapabilities, resolution and accuracy capabilities, build materialcapabilities, and so forth.

The properties may also or instead include one or more user settings onthe target printer. The user settings may include settings that wereupdated, or settings that were used for a previous fabrication process.The user settings may be inputted directly on the printer, e.g., throughmanual configuration of the printer or its components, or by using a GUIor the like on the printer or a device in communication with theprinter. The user settings may include settings related to the hardwareconfiguration, or settings that otherwise influence the fabrication ofthe object. For example, the user settings may include withoutlimitation color settings, resolution settings, speed settings, sizesettings, location settings, material settings, and so forth. In oneaspect, the user settings may automatically be detected by the printeror print server. For example, material settings such as type of materialmay be detected through the use of a labeled material source (a labeledspool or the like), through a code on the material, via a sensor on theprinter, and so forth.

The properties may also include an application used to operate thetarget printer. The application may execute on the printer or a devicein communication with the printer, e.g., a computer or mobile device ofthe user. The properties may further include a build material in thetarget printer.

As shown in step 308, the method 300 may include receiving a dictionaryof the one or more properties from the target printer. The dictionarymay thus include properties of a printer, e.g., the target printer. Theproperties included in the dictionary may include any as describedherein or otherwise known in the art. The dictionary may be a list orcollection of the properties, or may be otherwise configured to organizethe properties of the printer, e.g., for readability and use by a printserver, slicing engine, user, other resource, or the like. Theinformation included in the dictionary may be relevant to slicing athree-dimensional model to create a machine-ready representation for theprinter. The dictionary may include information or rules related to theproperties. The dictionary may define the hardware, software, firmware,printing capabilities, printing rules, and so forth, for the printer.The dictionary may include encrypted, protected, or hashed data. Oneskilled in the art will recognize that there are numerous ways to createand code such a dictionary as described herein. Some examples of themanner of information and data that may be included in the dictionaryare included below.

The dictionary may include one or more identifiers for the targetprinter. For example, the target printer may include an identificationnumber or code, where this identification number or code is thedictionary itself, i.e., the identification number or code acts as animplicit dictionary by uniquely specifying a particular printer orprinter type. The identification number or code may include aconfiguration version, e.g., the identification number or code may beassociated with a particular configuration including any informationpertinent to generating or choosing a proper machine-readyrepresentation. The dictionary may also or instead include otherinformation in addition to or in lieu of such an identifier. Theidentifier may include a hash that may be used in conjunction with ahash table. The identifier for the printer may be a unique identifier,i.e., an identifier specific to that particular printer. In this manner,if a printer is manufactured or built to a customer's specifications(i.e., it is customized), information pertaining to the printer may beacquired or known through its unique identifier. Thus, a componentconfigured to interpret the dictionary (e.g., the print server) mayretrieve and analyze the properties of the printer simply through itsidentifier included in the dictionary. The identifiers for the targetprinter may also or instead include brand information, modelinformation, generation information, version information, and the like.For example, the identifier may include a model number, which can be thesame for each printer associated with that particular model number.Properties may be known for the model number (e.g., properties forparticular model numbers may be stored in a database), and the componentconfigured to interpret the dictionary (e.g., the print server) mayretrieve and analyze the properties of the printer through the modelnumber included in the dictionary. For example, the model number mayhave associated default configurations that are known, e.g., by athree-dimensional printing application provider or a service forproviding of machine-ready models. In this manner, when a particularprinter is connected to the print server, the print server may use adefault machine-ready model profile (or slicer profile) for thatparticular model number of printer. This default profile may be used asa starting template for customized printers of a particular model. Also,users may be able to log updates to their particular printer model'sconfiguration.

The dictionary may also include one or more flags or the like. The flagsmay include a linear array of binary indicators of whether a printerincludes a certain property or not, or whether the printer has a certainprinting capability or not. More generally, the flags may include anytags, labels, colors, descriptors, and the like useful for specifyingprinter properties. Still more generally, the flags may include anysuitable means for storing information in a dictionary in a manner thatcan be decoded and used to determine printer properties.

The dictionary may include codes for the properties of a printer. Thecodes may include a numeric form, which may include numeric informationpertaining to the properties. For example, the build volume may beprovided by the explicit numbers related to the size of the build volume(e.g., the actual length, width, and height, for example in the x, y,and z directions), and the nozzle diameter may be provided by itsexplicit diameter. The code may also or instead be interpreted ordecrypted, where the component configured to interpret the dictionarymay utilize a database for looking up the meaning of the code.

In general, the dictionary may be provided in any suitable format. Thedictionary may for example be formed as a vector of binary flags orother attributes that form a description of properties included therein.The dictionary may also, where appropriate, include scalar quantitiesfor certain properties.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the dictionary may includeproperties of a printer, and information pertaining to the properties ofthe printer, at any desired level of granularity according to, e.g., thedata storage and processing capabilities of the components being used ina system implementing the method 300. In general, the dictionary mayinclude any information pertinent to generating or choosing amachine-ready representation of a three-dimensional model of an objectfor a printer in fabricating that object. This information may beprovided automatically by a printer or print server, or inputtedmanually by a user, e.g., using a GUI or the like where a user can enteror select properties pertaining to their printer.

As described above, the dictionary may include properties of the buildmaterial. The properties of the build material may include withoutlimitation build material type (e.g., filament, pellets, or otherwise),build material composition (e.g., PLA, ABS, and so on), build materialsize (e.g., filament width), deposition and retraction settings for thebuild material (e.g., deposition or ooze volume, hop distance,retraction distance, and so on), flow rate data (e.g., minimum andmaximum flow rate), atomic properties, chemical properties, electricalproperties, environmental properties, magnetic properties, manufacturingproperties, mechanical properties, optical properties, thermalproperties, and so forth. The properties of the build material may alsoor instead include properties on one or more materials derived fromknown properties of the materials, which may be derived from thematerial composition, a model or manufacturer number, and so forth.

The dictionary may include user settings as described herein, or thedictionary may be separate from the user settings. In one aspect, thefabrication profile as described herein includes a combination of thedictionary and user settings.

According to the foregoing, receiving the dictionary of properties mayin one aspect include receiving an identifier from the target printerand using the identifier to retrieve the dictionary from a repository ofprinter information remote from the target printer. The identifier maybe any of the types discussed herein, e.g., model number, configurationversion, and so forth. The identifier may also or instead identify or beassociated with a particular dictionary or set of dictionaries. Therepository may include a database, which may be local or remote from thetarget printer. For example, the repository may include a remotedatabase on a print server, or a database remote to the print server,e.g., a database stored on an external resource in communication withthe print server. The repository may include a plurality ofdictionaries, where each is associated with an identifier, such as aparticular model number of a printer. In this manner, once theidentifier is received, the dictionary may be retrieved and theproperties or configuration of a printer may become known to the system.In this manner, a target printer may change its status from unknown toknown, i.e., in terms of its configuration.

As shown in step 312, the method 300 may include creating a fabricationprofile based on the one or more properties. The fabrication profile maybe created by the target printer, a print server, an external resource,or another component of a system implementing the method 300. Thefabrication profile may be the basis for the generation of amachine-ready representation of the three-dimensional model that isexecutable on the target printer, and thus the fabrication profile mayinclude information for generating machine-ready representations for thetarget printer. The fabrication profile may be generated frominformation included in the dictionary, e.g., properties of the targetprinter. For example, in an aspect, the dictionary includes informationon a tool head such as an extruder, e.g., the nozzle diameter of theextruder. The nozzle diameter may thus be one aspect that is used totranslate the three-dimensional model into the machine-readyrepresentation. In one aspect, the fabrication profile includes thedictionary. The fabrication profile may also or instead be a profileused to determine which machine-ready representation is available orsuitable for a target printer. The fabrication profile may be specificto each printer, or may be used for a plurality of printers, e.g.,printers of the same type, model, version, and so forth. The fabricationprofile may be saved in the repository such as a database, which may beremote or local to the target printer, e.g., on a remote print server oran external resource. The fabrication profile may include machinereadable information for the slicer in creating a machine-ready model.The fabrication profile may be created using a library or the like and aresource or tool that parses the fabrication profile and obtainssuitable inputs for a slicing engine or other program used to createmachine-ready models. Thus the resource or tool may translate orinterpret the dictionary into information for the slicer so that asuitable model can be created (or selected) for the target printer.

The fabrication profile may be created based on mathematical parameters.In one aspect, information obtained from the dictionary is the same asthe information in the fabrication profile (e.g., numerical valuesassociated with physical dimensions such as a nozzle width, buildvolume, and the like). In another aspect, information obtained from thedictionary may be different from the information in the fabricationprofile. For example, a top speed may be included in the dictionary ofproperties, but tool instructions in the fabrication profile for topspeed may be different based on a particular portion of the object to beformed (e.g., whether the particular tool instructions are for the raft,the shell, or the infill of the object to be formed), where theinformation is populated based on the top speed. In other situations,certain hardware properties or configurations may be combined to createthe fabrication profile. For example, slicing parameters may be based ona binary decision (e.g., if the printer includes an automaticallyleveled build platform, if there is a raft, if another printer is to beused, and so forth). Also, a portion of the object to be formed may havedifferent instructions based on the material used, e.g., the raftproperties may be dependent on material.

As shown in step 314, the method 300 may include determining whether asuitable machine-ready model is available for the fabrication profile.The machine-ready model, which may be otherwise referred to herein as amachine-ready representation, may be a machine-ready model of the threedimensional model of the object that is executable by a target printerto fabricate the object. The machine-ready model may be specific tocertain properties of the printer. For example, the suitability of themachine-ready model may depend on one or more of the hardwareconfiguration of the printer, the software configuration of the printer,and the firmware configuration of the printer. Thus, the determinationof whether a suitable machine-ready model is available for thefabrication profile may include an analysis of one or more of thedictionary, the fabrication profile, the hardware configuration of theprinter, the compatibility of the machine-ready model with the hardwareconfiguration of the printer, the software configuration of the printer,the compatibility of the machine-ready model with the softwareconfiguration of the printer, the firmware configuration of the printer,the compatibility of the machine-ready model with the firmwareconfiguration of the printer, and so forth. The suitable machine-readymodel may be stored in a database of potentially suitable machine-readymodels, e.g., a remote database on a print server or remote resource.The analysis may include a compatibility analysis, where eachmachine-ready model is analyzed for its compatibility with thefabrication profile.

As shown in step 316, the method 300 may include selecting the suitablemachine-ready model if available and generating the machine-readyrepresentation according to the fabrication profile if not available. Inone aspect, if step 314 determines that a suitable machine-ready modelis available for the fabrication profile, that machine-ready model maybe selected in step 316. If it is determined in step 314 that a suitablemachine-ready model is not available for the fabrication profile, step316 may include generating the machine-ready representation according tothe fabrication profile. The machine-ready representation may begenerated using a slicing program or the like (otherwise referred toherein as a slicer) that creates tool instructions for the targetprinter for fabricating the object from a three-dimensional model. Theslicer may be disposed on the printer, a mobile device, a computerconnected to the printer or another component, the print server, acloud, an external resource, or the like. The newly generatedmachine-ready representation may be stored with other machine-readymodels, e.g., cached in a local or remote database. The newly generatedmachine-ready representation may also or instead be transmitted to auser, the printer, the print server, or elsewhere in a systemimplementing the method 300. The machine-ready representation mayinclude machine-ready instructions for fabricating the object on theprinter. The machine-ready representation may be generated using varioustechniques, e.g., any of the techniques described in U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2014/0371895, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

As shown in step 318, the method 300 may include determining whether oneof the plurality of stored machine-ready models can be modified tosatisfy the constraints of the fabrication profile. In one aspect, theprint server or another component of the system may search for amachine-ready model that most closely meets the fabrication profile. Themachine-ready model that most closely meets the fabrication profile willthen be selected for modification to meet the fabrication profile orotherwise become suitable for use on the target printer. Before themachine-ready model is modified, a copy may be made, such that theunmodified version will remain in the plurality of stored machine-readymodels.

As shown in step 320, the method 300 may include modifying one of theplurality of stored machine-ready models for use as the machine-readyrepresentation if possible. Modifying one of the plurality of storedmachine ready models may include, without limitation, one or more oftranslating the machine-ready representation, rotating the machine-readyrepresentation, scaling the machine-ready representation, changing a topspeed in a tool path for the target printer, and so forth. In amachine-ready representation such as g-code, this may include a simplesearch and substitution of suitable instruction steps. For example, anyspeed that exceeds a top speed may be located and replaced with thepermitted top speed. For a scaling operation, any physical movement maybe located and the numerical value may be adjusted according to adesired scale. In this manner, a machine-ready model may be providedwithout creating a new model from scratch—a very time andcomputationally expensive operation. The modification may be performedby a slicer or another tool of a system implementing the method 300. Themodified machine-ready model may be stored with the other machine-readymodels, e.g., in a local or remote database. The modified machine-readyrepresentation may also or instead be transmitted to a user, theprinter, the print server, or elsewhere in a system implementing themethod 300.

As shown in step 322, the method 300 may include generating a newmachine-ready representation according to the fabrication profile foruse as the machine-ready representation, e.g., if modifying one of thestored machine-ready models is not possible.

As discussed herein, the method 300 may generally include generating amachine-ready representation of the three-dimensional model executableby the target printer to fabricate the object. Generating themachine-ready representation may include processing thethree-dimensional model according to the fabrication profile. Processingthe three-dimensional model may include slicing the three-dimensionalmodel. Slicing the three-dimensional model may include decomposing thethree-dimensional model into a sequence of two-dimensional slices. Theinputs to this process may specify a variety of characteristics such aslayer thickness, infilling density, tool temperature, tool speeds, andso forth. Slicing may be provided by a slicing engine or other softwaremodule, which may be on a printer, on a computer locally coupled to theprinter, on a remote resource, or any combination of these. Processingthe three-dimensional model may include generating g-code, which iscommonly used for three-dimensional printers, or any other suitableprinter-executable description of the object based upon thethree-dimensional model. Processing the three-dimensional model may takeplace on the printer, a remote print server, a computer connected to thetarget printer, a computer remote to the target printer, in a cloud, bya service for providing machine-ready models, and the like. Generatingthe machine-ready representation may include creating toolpaths for atool of the target printer. Generating the machine-ready representationmay also or instead include selecting one of a plurality of storedmachine-ready models according to the fabrication profile as themachine-ready representation. The machine-ready representations may beselected from, e.g., a database, a store (e.g., a digital or onlinestore), a print service, and so forth. Generating the machine-readyrepresentation may further include generating printer-executableinstructions at a computer locally connected to the target printer.

As shown in step 324, the method 300 may include generating descriptivemetadata to accompany the machine-ready representation. The descriptivemetadata may specify one or more properties for comparison to propertiesof printers selected for fabricating the model or for potential printersto be analyzed for selection. The metadata may thus include informationregarding how a machine-ready representation was created, or will becreated, where the metadata may be checked against the properties of aprinter.

The metadata may also or instead include printer properties, e.g.,recommended printer settings. The metadata may also or instead includeany descriptive information for the object, the digitalthree-dimensional model, the machine-ready representation pertaining tothe three-dimensional model, and so forth. For example, the metadata mayinclude information provided by a source of the three-dimensional modelsuch as a title, author, creation date, propriety rights managementinformation, descriptive text, and so forth. Where the three-dimensionalmodel source is an automated model source such as a three-dimensionalscanner, the metadata may also or instead identify a scanner time, timeand date of a scan, scanning parameters (where applicable), scannerlocation, and so forth. Metadata may also or instead be provided fromother sources. For example, a print server (or some other remoteresource) may track downloads and prints of an object, and may log thisinformation in the metadata as usage statistics covering, e.g., numberof downloads, popularity, build results, and so forth. The metadata maythus include descriptive data from any of a variety of sources such as acomputer rendering of an object, a photograph of an object, an authorcomment for an object, a number of downloads for an object (or aspecific machine-ready model of the object), a category tag for anobject, a popularity rating for an object, title, type, prioritization,other tags, creator information, descriptive narrative, pictures, and soforth.

As shown in step 326, the method 300 may include checking thedescriptive metadata against a selected printer prior to fabrication bythe selected printer. This may be particularly useful where the metadataincludes recommended printer properties, i.e., where the recommendedprinter properties can be compared to the actual printer properties ofthe selected printer. The printer may be selected based on certainrecommended printer properties in the metadata matching the actualprinter properties, a certain percentage of matching properties, or thelike. In a similar manner, a printer may not be selected if certainrecommended printer properties in the metadata do not match the actualprinter properties. The checking of the metadata may be performed by theprinter, print server, an external resource, a user, and so forth.

As shown in step 328, the method 300 may include transmitting themachine-ready representation to the target printer for fabrication. Themachine-ready representation may be transmitted by a print server, acomputer connected to the target printer, a computer remote to thetarget printer, a remote resource, and the like. The transmission mayinclude an e-mail containing the machine ready representation as anattachment, a download link to a location where the file can beretrieved, a direct file transfer (via FTP, SFTP, or the like), and soforth.

As shown in step 330, the method 300 may include receiving themachine-ready representation at the target printer. Alternatively, themachine-ready representation may be received by a print server, acomputer connected to the target printer, a computer remote to thetarget printer, a remote resource, and the like. Receiving themachine-ready representation may include downloading the machine-readyrepresentation, e.g., through a network, USB flash drive, or the like.It will also be understood that the machine-ready representation may betransmitted to the printer in its entirety or streamed in smallersegments where, e.g., memory capacity of the printer is limited and/orconnectivity to the printer is of high quality and bandwidth.

As shown in step 332, the method 300 may include checking themachine-ready representation for errors. In one aspect, errors refer tomismatches between the instructions contained in the machine-readyrepresentation and capabilities of the target printer such as movementsat a speed greater than the top speed of the printer, or movementsoutside of the build volume of the printer. Thus, while any errorchecking may be performed according to, e.g, design or fabricationrules, known material properties etc., additional error checking isenabled by the current system where more specific information aboutprinting capabilities can be obtained from the dictionary, fabricationprofile, and explicit hardware and software properties. As noted above,this type of error checking can be further facilitated by metadata forthe machine-ready representation that explicitly specifies, e.g.,hardware requirements, assumptions about machine capabilities, and soforth.

Errors may include an incorrect configuration of either or both of theprinter and the machine-ready representation. The printer, a printserver, a computer connected to the target printer, a computer remote tothe target printer, a remote resource, or the like, may check themachine-ready representation for errors. Settings, properties, orconfigurations of the printer may also or instead be checked for errors.In one aspect, an error check includes checking information included inthe machine-ready representation, e.g., its metadata, and comparing thisinformation to the printer's configuration. A user may receive anotification (e.g., an error message) when the machine-readyrepresentation or the printer's configuration has errors. In anotheraspect, a new machine-ready representation may be obtained when themachine-ready representation or the printer's configuration has errors.

As shown in step 334, the method 300 may include requesting a newmachine-ready representation when an error is detected. The newmachine-ready representation may be requested by the printer, a printserver, a computer connected to the target printer, a computer remote tothe target printer, a remote resource, or the like. Alternatively, themachine-ready representation may be modified or there may be a requestfor modification when an error is detected.

As shown in step 336, the method 300 may include fabricating the objectwith the target printer, where the fabrication of the object is based onthe machine-ready representation.

In another aspect, the method 300 outlined above may also or insteadinclude managing a print queue. For example, a print server or clientdevice may select a printer, receive a dictionary associated with thatprinter, and then create or select a machine-ready representation basedon the selected printer's configuration. If the selected printermalfunctions, the print server or another component of the system mayreceive information regarding the malfunction, query one or more otherprinters, and select another printer based on its configuration or otherrelevant parameters. The print server or another component of the systemmay then receive a dictionary from the subsequently selected printer andthen create or select another machine-ready representation or use thesame machine-ready representation already created or selected.Alternatively, the system can create or select a plurality ofmachine-ready representations for one or more printers initially, orselect a similar printer with a similar dictionary, such that the sameor similar machine-ready representations can be utilized for one or moreprinters.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a system for providing machine-readymodels based on printer configuration. Specifically, FIG. 4 shows asystem 400 having a user 402, a printer 404, and a print server 406. Thesystem 400 may also include other resources 408. In general, FIG. 4shows an example of communications that may be present in the system 400for yielding a machine-ready model based on the configuration of theprinter 404. The parties in the system 400 of FIG. 4 may be connectedvia a network, locally connected, or otherwise may be in communicationwith one another. It will be understood that the embodiment of FIG. 4 isprovided by way of example only, and that numerous techniques may beused to synchronize operation of a printer and various remote resourcessuch as remote slicing engines or model repositories as contemplatedherein.

The user 400 may be a user of the printer 404, a client or user of theprint server 406 or other resource 408, a user of a service thatprovides machine-ready models, or generally any party that uses theprinter 404 or otherwise wants to obtain a machine-ready model.

The printer 404 and print server 406 may be any of the printers andservers as described herein or otherwise known in the art. The printserver 406 may also or instead include client devices, mobile devices,and the like, or the print server 406 may be incorporated into or incommunication with such devices. In this manner, sliced models asdiscussed herein may be created or selected by client devices, mobiledevices, and the like.

The other resource 408 may include a cloud-based service, a webpage, anapplication, another server, another printer, another user, a database,and so forth. The other resource 408 may be local or remote to one ormore of the other components of the system 400. The other resource 408may include a plurality of other resources. The other resource 408 mayalso or include any of the other resources described elsewhere herein,e.g., with reference to FIG. 2.

As shown by arrow 410, the user 402 may send a request to the printer404 requesting a print of an object. The user 402 may also or insteadsend such a request to another component or device that controls theprinter 404. This request may be generated from a user interface on acomputer locally coupled to the printer 404, or remotely through aremote print management website or the like.

As shown by arrow 412, upon receiving the request for a print, theprinter 404 may request a sliced model from the print server 406. Thisrequest may also or instead be sent directly from the user 402. Thisrequest may also or instead be sent to another component of the system400, e.g., the other resource 408. The print server 406 may select orgenerate a sliced model based on this request, or it may requestadditional information for selecting or generating a sliced model basedon this request. The sliced model may be a machine-ready model, i.e., amodel that is suitable for use by the printer 404 in fabricating theobject.

As shown by arrow 414, the print server 406 may request the sliced modelfrom the other resource 408. For example, if the other resource 408includes a database of sliced models, the print server 406 may request aparticular sliced model from this database. In response to this request,the other resource 408 may search for and select a sliced model, or theother resource 408 may generate a sliced model.

As shown by arrow 416, the other resource may transmit a sliced model tothe print server 406 in response to its request. The sliced model mayalso or instead be sent to another component of the system 400, e.g.,the printer 404 or user 402.

As shown by arrow 418, the print server 406 may request a dictionaryfrom the printer 404. The dictionary may include any as describedherein. For example, the dictionary may include one or more propertiesof the printer 404. This request may also or instead be sent to anothercomponent of the system 400, e.g., the user 402. The request for adictionary may be automatically sent upon receiving a request for asliced model. Alternatively, the request for a dictionary may be sentonly upon determining that there are not any suitable sliced models forthe printer 404. This determination may be made at the print server 406,the other resource 408, or any combination thereof.

As shown by arrow 420, the printer 404 may transmit the dictionary tothe print server. Alternatively, another component of the system 400 maytransmit the dictionary to the print server, e.g., the user 402 or theother resource 408. The dictionary may also or instead be transmitted toanother component of the system 400, e.g., the user 402 or the otherresource 408. The dictionary may be transmitted upon the request for thedictionary, or the dictionary may be automatically transmitted whenrequesting a sliced model. Once the dictionary is received, it may bestored (e.g., on the print server 406 or the other resource 408) andtagged such that it need not be transmitted again. Thus, the printserver 406 or other resource 408 may include a plurality of storeddictionaries, where each dictionary may be associated with a particularprinter.

As shown by arrow 422, the print server 406 may transmit the slicedmodel to the printer 404. The sliced model may also or instead be sentto another component of the system 400, e.g., the user 402. The slicedmodel may also or instead be sent from another component of the system400, e.g., the other resource 408. The sliced model may be themachine-ready representation selected or generated by the print server406 or another component of the system 400 to be used by the printer 404in fabricating the object.

As shown by arrow 424, the printer 404 may request a new sliced modelfrom the print server 406, e.g., if there are errors with the receivedsliced model. Thus, upon receipt of the sliced model, the printer 404 oranother component of the system 400 may error check the sliced model, orotherwise test the sliced model for suitability in fabricating theobject. If errors are detected or the sliced model is otherwiseunsuitable, the request for a new sliced model may be sent. This requestmay also or instead be sent by another component of the system 400,e.g., the user 402. This request may also or instead be sent to anothercomponent of the system 400, e.g., the other resource 408.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system for providing dictionaries and machine-readymodels. One skilled in the art will recognize that FIG. 5 illustratesone possibility out of numerous possibilities for such a system 500. Themain components of the system 500 may include a requester 502 and adatabase 504. The requester 502 and the database 504 may be incommunication with one another, e.g., through a network.

The requester 502 may include without limitation a client or user asdescribed herein or as known in the art. The requester 502 may also orinstead include a device operated by a client or user, where the deviceis in communication with one or more of the database 504, a printer, aprint server, another resource, and so on. In one aspect, the requester502 is the printer. In another aspect, the requester 502 is the printserver. The requester 502 may send a request or query (illustrated byarrow 514) to the database 504. The request may include withoutlimitation a request for a dictionary 508 or a request for amachine-ready model 512. The requester 502 may send the request inresponse to a print request or as part of a print request.

The database 504 may include stored data 506. The stored data 506 mayinclude one or more dictionaries 508 and one or more machine readymodels 512.

The dictionaries 508 may include any of the dictionaries describedherein. For example, the dictionary 510 may include printerspecifications 510, e.g., specifications related to the configurationand capabilities of a printer. The dictionaries 508 may specify printerhardware, software, firmware, accessories, and the like at any usefullevel of granularity, and may, for example, be indexed according toprinter identifiers so that the database 504 can be used to retrieve adictionary based on a unique printer identifier. In another aspect, thedictionary may be stored on a printer (not shown) coupled to the system,or the dictionary may be dynamically created by a printer in response toa request for the dictionary based on an actual, current configurationdetected for the printer. In another aspect, any combination of theforegoing may be use to capture an accurate representation of the targetprinter.

The machine-ready models 512 may include models that are suitable foruse by a printer in fabricating an object. Any number of machine-readymodels 512 may be provided for a particular object. Thus when an objectand a target printer are specified in a print request, the database 504may be queried to retrieve a suitable model to fabricate the objectusing the target printer. Although the dictionaries 508 andmachine-ready models 512 are shown in the same database 504, one skilledin the art will recognize that they may be located in different,separate databases, or that there may be a plurality of databasesincluding different dictionaries 508 and machine-ready models 512. Thedatabase 504 may be located on a printer, a print server, anotherresource, and so forth, as well as combinations of the foregoing. Inresponse to the request from the requester 502, the database 504 (or acomponent operating the database 504) may send the requester 504 therequested data, e.g., one or both of the dictionary 508 and the machineready model 512.

FIG. 6 illustrates a system for providing machine-ready models based onprinter configuration. Once again, one skilled in the art will recognizethat FIG. 6 illustrates one possibility out of numerous possibilitiesfor such a system 600. As shown in FIG. 6, the system 600 may include anetwork 602 interconnecting a printer 604 and a print server 606. Ingeneral, the network 602, printer 604, and print server 606 may be anyas described herein.

As shown in FIG. 6, in operation, the print server 606 may send a query608 to the printer 604. The query 608 may include a request for theprinting capabilities or printing configuration (e.g., a dictionary) ofthe printer 604. In response, the printer 604 may respond by sending theprint server 606 an answer 610. The answer 610 may include a dictionaryas described herein for the printer 604. Based on the informationincluded in the answer 610, the print server 606 may send the printer604 an asset 612. The asset 612 may include without limitation amachine-ready representation of a three-dimensional model executable bythe printer 604, instructions for printing, a fabrication profile, andso forth. Before sending the asset 612, the print server 606 maydevelop, generate, select, modify, etc., the asset 612, which may bedone internally on the print server 606 or with the aid of an externalresource such as a database 614. For example, in one aspect, the printserver 606 uses a dictionary included in the answer 610 to create afabrication profile, which the print server 606 or an external resourcethen uses to generate a machine-ready representation of athree-dimensional model executable by the printer 604. The machine-readyrepresentation is then sent to the printer 604 as the asset 612.

The database 614 may be located on the print server 606 or be anexternal resource to the print server 606. The print server 606 may thusbe in communication with the database 614 through the network 602. Thedatabase 614 may include a plurality of dictionaries, machine-readymodels, or the like for use by the print server 606. The print server606 may also or instead supply the database 614 with dictionaries,machine-ready models, or other information.

The above systems, devices, and methods described herein may be used tosupplement current systems for three-dimensional fabrication. Forexample, the techniques described herein may be used in systems whereusers print from libraries (e.g., online databases), print purchasedfiles (e.g., from online stores or services providing machine-readymodels), print from applications running on their computers or mobiledevices, when importing or exporting files, and so forth. The techniquesdescribed herein may be used to ensure that clients are using suitablemachine-ready models for their particular printer configuration whenprinting.

The above systems, devices, and methods described herein may be used innetworked printers, where printers will automatically send theirconfiguration information and receive machine-ready models based on theconfiguration information. In another aspect, non-networked printers mayprovide configuration information and receive machine-ready modelsthrough external devices, e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices orthe like, or by using configuration programming local to their machine.For example, a user interface or application running on the printer or acomputer/device connected to the printer may include an option to copyconfiguration data to a USB flash drive or the like. A user may then usethe USB flash drive to load the configuration into a print server,application, webpage, or the like. An alternate embodiment may include auser entering configuration data into a GUI for a print server or thelike. The configuration data may be entered using profile codes or thelike, where profile codes are associated with a printer configuration. Adatabase may thus maintain the profile codes mapped to particularconfiguration data.

In one aspect, a printer captures its properties, e.g., in a dictionaryor the like, and provides the dictionary to a three-dimensional printingservice. The three-dimensional printing service may include a slicingengine, where the slicing engine may only being to slice athree-dimensional model after receiving the dictionary from the printer.The sliced model (or machine-ready model) may include the configurationinformation, e.g., the dictionary. The sliced model may also or insteadinclude a link or path (e.g., a URL) to the original three-dimensionalmodel. Firmware included on the printer may issue a warning if thesliced model does not match the configuration of the printer. Firmwareincluded on the printer may attempt to use the three-dimensionalprinting service (e.g., via a cloud service or the like) to correct thesliced model if the sliced model does not match the configuration of theprinter. This correction may include without limitation attempting touse another sliced model, the original three-dimensional model,re-slicing the original three-dimensional model, or modifying the slicedmodel. A user of the printer may save their configuration with thethree-dimensional printing service so that future sliced models may beprovided based on the configuration of the printer. In this manner, aprinter may have a saved profile of its configuration. A user of theprinter may also be able to reconfigure and reset their printer'sprofile. A printer's profile may also or instead be automaticallycreated at the time of manufacturing of the printer.

In one aspect, a printer (or properties thereof, e.g., the dictionary)may require authenticating before the printer can obtain a machine-readymodel. In another aspect, a printer's dictionary is stored on a printserver or database in communication with the print server, and thestored dictionary may be updated when the printer connects to the printserver. The update may be an automatic update, a manual update, ascheduled update, and so forth. In yet another aspect, a user may havean account with a print server or the like, where the user can saveprinter dictionaries and machine-ready models for a plurality ofprinters. Printer dictionaries and machine-ready models may also orinstead be saved locally by a user or client.

In an implementation, if a printer is connected to a print server, theconfiguration of the printer is automatically sent to the print server.In this instance, when a user connects a printer to a print server forthe first time, the user may be prompted to name or label the printer orconfiguration. Based on the print server's experience with the make andmodel of the printer, certain data may be known simply from theconnection without the transfer of a dictionary or the like. In otherinstances, the dictionary may provide configuration information to theprint server. If the print server needs additional information, a usermay be prompted to input or select such information. Configurations andprinters may also be saved on the print server or a component thereof,such that a user may access this information, e.g., using a GUI or thelike. A print server or database connected thereto may provide a userwith three-dimensional models for selection, where the models haveassociated machine-ready representations for different printers. A userof such a system with a saved profile may be able to select athree-dimensional model for printing, and the print server mayautomatically choose a machine-ready representation based on the user'sor printer's profile. Alternatively, a print server may be able tocreate machine-ready representations of the three-dimensional modelsselected by the user based on the user's or printer's profile. If a userhas more than one printer associated with their profile, they may selectwhich printer they want the machine-ready representation to be executedon to print a selected three-dimensional model.

The techniques described herein may assist in providing accurate printtime estimation because the configurations of particular printers willbe known to a print server. For example, a printer's configuration mayprovide a printing estimator with relevant acceleration parameters andthe estimator can compute accelerated print times accordingly.Acceleration parameters may also be useful for slicer computations forvariable layer height.

As described above, a slicer may utilize the configuration informationof the printers in creating machine-ready models. By way of example andnot of limitation, the configuration information may be parsed by theslicer in the following ways: the slicer may maintain configurations asa set of layered style sheet type overrides; the slicer may maintain afunction, script, or the like that manipulates a base profile based onsome simple logic keyed from the configuration; or some combinationthereof. The slicer may utilize an algorithm that computes a toolpathfor a given dictionary.

Several use cases of the techniques described herein will now bediscussed. After obtaining a machine-ready representation of athree-dimensional model of an object, a user may print the object one ormore times. In one aspect, the user may not need to obtain anothermachine-ready representation for printing the object, but can re-use theone already received. If the user in this scenario switched printers, orswitched their printer's configuration, the system may automaticallyrecognize that the user has done so when attempting to use themachine-ready representation on the new printer or configuration. Thismay be accomplished through an error check or compatibility checkperformed by a component of the system, e.g., the printer or the printserver. If the machine-ready representation is unsuitable for the newprinter or configuration, the system may stop the user from using themachine-ready representation (e.g., through a notification or the like),or the machine-ready representation may simply not function with theprinter. In one aspect, the new printer or new configuration may also becompatible with the machine-ready representation and a new machine-readyrepresentation may not be required. In another aspect, the new printeror new configuration may not be compatible with the machine-readyrepresentation and a new machine-ready representation may be required.In such a use case, the system may begin a process to obtain a newsuitable machine-ready representation for the new printer orconfiguration. The process may occur automatically, or the user mayinitiate the process. In one aspect, the process for obtaining a newsuitable machine-ready representation for the new printer orconfiguration occurs automatically, and no error notification is sent,so the user has no direct knowledge that a new representation was neededand was obtained.

In another use case, the system may adapt the printer or themachine-ready representation instead of obtaining a new machine-readyrepresentation for a new printer or configuration. For example, theprinter can adapt itself (or a user can adapt the printer) to becomecompatible with a machine-ready representation. Such adaptations mayinclude changes to print speed and the like.

The above systems, devices, methods, processes, and the like may berealized in hardware, software, or any combination of these suitable forthe control, data acquisition, and data processing described herein.This includes realization in one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signalprocessors or other programmable devices or processing circuitry, alongwith internal and/or external memory. This may also, or instead, includeone or more application specific integrated circuits, programmable gatearrays, programmable array logic components, or any other device ordevices that may be configured to process electronic signals. It willfurther be appreciated that a realization of the processes or devicesdescribed above may include computer-executable code created using astructured programming language such as C, an object orientedprogramming language such as C++, or any other high-level or low-levelprogramming language (including assembly languages, hardware descriptionlanguages, and database programming languages and technologies) that maybe stored, compiled or interpreted to run on one of the above devices,as well as heterogeneous combinations of processors, processorarchitectures, or combinations of different hardware and software. Atthe same time, processing may be distributed across devices such as thevarious systems described above, or all of the functionality may beintegrated into a dedicated, standalone device. All such permutationsand combinations are intended to fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Embodiments disclosed herein may include computer program productscomprising non-transitory computer-executable code or computer-usablecode that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs anyand/or all of the steps of the control systems described above. The codemay be stored in a non-transitory fashion in a computer memory, whichmay be a memory from which the program executes (such as random accessmemory associated with a processor), or a storage device such as a diskdrive, flash memory or any other optical, electromagnetic, magnetic,infrared or other device or combination of devices. In another aspect,any of the control systems or the like described above may be embodiedin any suitable transmission or propagation medium carryingcomputer-executable code and/or any inputs or outputs from same.

It will be appreciated that the devices, systems, and methods describedabove are set forth by way of example and not of limitation. Numerousvariations, additions, omissions, and other modifications will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the order orpresentation of method steps in the description and drawings above isnot intended to require this order of performing the recited stepsunless a particular order is expressly required or otherwise clear fromthe context.

The method steps of the implementations described herein are intended toinclude any suitable method of causing such method steps to beperformed, consistent with the patentability of the following claims,unless a different meaning is expressly provided or otherwise clear fromthe context. So for example performing the step of X includes anysuitable method for causing another party such as a remote user, aremote processing resource (e.g., a server or cloud computer) or amachine to perform the step of X. Similarly, performing steps X, Y and Zmay include any method of directing or controlling any combination ofsuch other individuals or resources to perform steps X, Y and Z toobtain the benefit of such steps. Thus method steps of theimplementations described herein are intended to include any suitablemethod of causing one or more other parties or entities to perform thesteps, consistent with the patentability of the following claims, unlessa different meaning is expressly provided or otherwise clear from thecontext. Such parties or entities need not be under the direction orcontrol of any other party or entity, and need not be located within aparticular jurisdiction.

It will be appreciated that the methods and systems described above areset forth by way of example and not of limitation. Numerous variations,additions, omissions, and other modifications will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art. In addition, the order or presentation ofmethod steps in the description and drawings above is not intended torequire this order of performing the recited steps unless a particularorder is expressly required or otherwise clear from the context. Thus,while particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications in form and details may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this disclosure and are intended to form apart of the invention as defined by the following claims, which are tobe interpreted in the broadest sense allowable by law.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a print server coupledthrough a data network to a plurality of three-dimensional printers, theprint server configured to receive a request to fabricate an object froma three-dimensional model, determine a target printer from the pluralityof three-dimensional printers to fabricate the object, query the targetprinter for configuration information of the target printer includingconfiguration information relevant to creation by a slicing engine of aprintable model for fabrication of the object on the target printer,receive a dictionary of configuration information containing one or moreproperties of the target printer that affect fabrication capabilities ofthe target printer, create a fabrication profile for fabrication of theobject on the target printer based on the one or more properties, thefabrication profile specifying one or more parameters of the printablemodel consistent with the fabrication capabilities of the targetprinter, and process the three-dimensional model with a slicing processaccording to the fabrication profile to generate a machine-readyrepresentation of the processed three-dimensional model consistent withthe fabrication capabilities of the target printer and executable by thetarget printer to fabricate the object based on the one or moreproperties; and a database coupled in a communicating relationship withthe print server and configured to store at least one of the dictionaryof configuration information, the fabrication profile, and themachine-ready representation.
 2. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a slicing engine in communication with the print serverconfigured to carry out the slicing process according to the fabricationprofile.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more propertiesinclude at least one customization made by a user to a hardwareconfiguration or a software configuration of the target printer.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include one ormore of a user configuration, a user preference, and a hardwareaccessory added to the target printer by a user.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein determining a target printer includes use of one or moreselection criteria including one or more of information related to thethree-dimensional model, information related to the object, a printqueue, a prioritization, a location of the target printer, a timeline,and an attribute of the target printer.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the print server is further configured to transmit themachine-ready representation of the processed three-dimensional model tothe target printer.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein one or more of thetarget printer and the print server is configured to compare metadatafor the machine-ready representation to one or more printer propertiesin the dictionary to ensure that the machine-ready representation can befabricated by the target printer.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein theone or more properties include a hardware configuration of the targetprinter.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the hardware configurationincludes one or more of an extruder type, an extruder nozzle diameter, abuild volume, a build platform type, a hardware version number, a topspeed for linear movement of a tool, a step size for movement of thetool, a minimum z-axis step size, a gantry type, and a build materialtype.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the hardware configurationincludes one or more of an automatically detected hardwarereconfiguration and a manually specified hardware reconfiguration. 11.The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include asoftware configuration of the target printer.
 12. The system of claim11, wherein the software configuration includes one or more of a versionof a slicer used by the target printer and a version of a slicer thathas previously created machine-ready representations ofthree-dimensional models for the target printer.
 13. The system of claim11, wherein the software configuration includes one or more slicersettings.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the software configurationincludes a firmware configuration of the target printer.
 15. The systemof claim 11, wherein the software configuration includes an applicationused to operate the target printer.
 16. The system of claim 11, whereinthe one or more properties include one or more user settings on thetarget printer.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more usersettings include user settings from a previous fabrication process. 18.The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include abuild material in the target printer.
 19. The system of claim 1, whereinone or more of the print server and the target printer is configured tocheck the machine-ready representation for errors, and request a newmachine-ready representation when an error is detected.
 20. The systemof claim 1, wherein the print server is further configured to determinewhether a suitable machine-ready model is available for the fabricationprofile based on at least one of the one or more properties relevant toselection of a machine-ready model from a content source, and, when asuitable machine-ready model is available from the content source, toselect the suitable machine-ready model for transmission to the targetprinter.